Mark Lloyd, Chief Executive of the Angling Trust said: “Nowadays too many people seem to want to see ‘rewilded’ mammals introduced to our landscapes, but we must re-build damaged river ecosystems from the bottom up, not from the top down. No licences have been issued for the release of beavers into the wild and Defra has confirmed that it has no intention of issuing any such licences. Urgent and concerted action is needed to restore habitats and fish populations in our rivers rather than irresponsible re-introduction programmes.”

They should review their ideas on what constitutes "rewilding" (it that even a word?). It seems that they are concerned with the introduction/existence of mammals, but care very little about any piscine introductions, and their effect on the ecology of waterways. The Trust could do with a new logo, and motto. How about a twist on Orwell? 'Fur and legs bad, scales and fins good', (in this context feathers will be regarded as fur).

The amount of fishy crap that's been allowed to enter our waterways over the last 20 odd years, (the last 5 being with the Trusts approval) is almost unbelievable. Maybe their motto should simply be, 'It's alright, it's a fish, innit'.

John.

Angling is more than just catching fish, if it wasn't it would just be called 'catching'......... John

They should review their ideas on what constitutes "rewilding" (it that even a word?). It seems that they are concerned with the introduction/existence of mammals, but care very little about any piscine introductions, and their effect on the ecology of waterways. The Trust could do with a new logo, and motto. How about a twist on Orwell? 'Fur and legs bad, scales and fins good', (in this context feathers will be regarded as fur).

The amount of fishy crap that's been allowed to enter our waterways over the last 20 odd years, (the last 5 being with the Trusts approval) is almost unbelievable. Maybe their motto should simply be, 'It's alright, it's a fish, innit'.

John.

Can't see a problem with beavers. Unlike mink they don't decimate the wildlife and are interesting to watch. Perhaps the AT should start pushing the EA to get rid of the mink.

Can't see a problem with beavers. Unlike mink they don't decimate the wildlife and are interesting to watch. Perhaps the AT should start pushing the EA to get rid of the mink.

quote from the article:

they will use powers to access land to remove the animals because of the significant risk that they may be infected with the tapeworm Echinococcus multilocularis which can spread to dogs and humans, for whom it can be fatal.

If this is true then this alone could be a major problem with beavers; as well as any other incidental damage like spawning gravels silting up because of flooding and reduced flows; which might be more of a problem. I agree with you about the Mink though.

We need to be extremely careful about releasing any beavers into our river systems before proper detailed research has been completed.

Keith (BoldBear)

Edited by BoldBear, 08 April 2015 - 10:44 PM.

Happiness is Fish shaped (it used to be woman shaped but the wife is getting on a bit now)

If this is true then this alone could be a major problem with beavers; as well as any other incidental damage like spawning gravels silting up because of flooding and reduced flows; which might be more of a problem. I agree with you about the Mink though.

We need to be extremely careful about releasing any beavers into our river systems before proper detailed research has been completed.

Keith (BoldBear)

It wouldn't be difficult to capture the beavers and give them a medical to check for any "possible" health problems and cure them before releasing them.(I BELIEVE THIS HAS, OR IS BEING DONE) Mink are a different problem as they decimate wildlife and there should be a concerted program to eradicate them through trapping and shooting.

It wouldn't be difficult to capture the beavers and give them a medical to check for any "possible" health problems and cure them before releasing them.(I BELIEVE THIS HAS, OR IS BEING DONE) Mink are a different problem as they decimate wildlife and there should be a concerted program to eradicate them through trapping and shooting.

But giving beavers a medical doesn't solve the local flooding and reduced flows and subsequent silting up of spawning gravels and other clean gravel beds that a lot of our fish and our other wild life rely and thrive on does it.

We need to have thought very carefully about releasing any Beavers until we are sure that these things are not going to be a problem.

Humans don't have a good track record as far as these things are concerned especially when their subjects look cute and have fluffy furry coats LOL.

As I have already said; I agree with you totally as far as Mink are concerned.

Keith

Happiness is Fish shaped (it used to be woman shaped but the wife is getting on a bit now)

Interests:Boat fishing and more boat fishing. Some times i have to go to work so it does interfere with my boat fishing, but not much.

Posted 09 April 2015 - 08:36 PM

zander releases didn't go through any checks and balances, now TAT's enforcement guro supports zanders catch and release although it's against the law.

Free to choose apart from the ones where the trust poked their nose in. Common eel. tope. Bass and sea bream. All restricted.

New for 2016 TAT are the main instigators for the demise of the u k bass charter boat industry, where they went screaming off to parliament and for the first time assisting so called angling gurus set up bass take bans with the e u using rubbish exaggerated info collected by ices from anglers, they must be very proud.

Upgrade, the door has been closed with regards to anglers being linked to the e u superstate and the failed c f p. So TAT will no longer need to pay monies to the EAA anymore as that org is no longer relevant to the u k . Goodbye to the europeon anglers alliance and pathetic restrictions from the e u.

Angling is better than politics, ban politics from angling.

Consumer of bass. where is the evidence that the u k bass stock need angling trust protection. Why won't you work with your peers instead of castigating them. They have the answer.

Recipie's for mullet stew more than welcomed.

Angling sanitation trust and kent and sussex sea anglers org delete's and blocks rsa's alternative opinion on their face book site. Although they claim to rep all.

new for 2014. where is the evidence that the south coast bream stock need the angling trust? Your campaign has no evidence. Why won't you work with your peers, the inshore under tens? As opposed to alienating them? Angling trust failed big time re bait digging, even fish legal attempted to intervene and failed, all for what, nothing.

Looks like the sea angling reps have been coerced by the ifca's to compose sea angling strategy's that the ifca's at some stage will look at drafting into legislation to manage the rsa, because they like wasting tax payers money. That's without asking the rsa btw. You know who you are..

But giving beavers a medical doesn't solve the local flooding and reduced flows and subsequent silting up of spawning gravels and other clean gravel beds that a lot of our fish and our other wild life rely and thrive on does it.

We need to have thought very carefully about releasing any Beavers until we are sure that these things are not going to be a problem.

Humans don't have a good track record as far as these things are concerned especially when their subjects look cute and have fluffy furry coats LOL.

As I have already said; I agree with you totally as far as Mink are concerned.

Keith

I wonder why there wasn't a serious effort to control/exterminate the mink as when the coypu escaped they only dug holes in river banks and ate greenery, but the trapping and shooting went on until every last one was wiped out, allegedly.

If this is true then this alone could be a major problem with beavers; as well as any other incidental damage like spawning gravels silting up because of flooding and reduced flows; which might be more of a problem. I agree with you about the Mink though.

We need to be extremely careful about releasing any beavers into our river systems before proper detailed research has been completed.

Keith (BoldBear)

I thought beavers were natural inhabitants to this country until they were wiped out, if so there should be no bar to them being re-introduced as they are an indigenous species, unlike mink, grey squirrels, zander etc which nobody seems bothered about. My question is, " if beavers hadn't been wiped out, would the AT, EA etc now be calling for them to be wiped out because of reduced river flows and the silting up of gravel beds"?